Deep in Mortal Kombat 2, the Dead Pool was completely deserted due to the arcade not being opened yet; that is, except for two visitors that were there. Sakura was busy watching two of the game's characters fighting it out in the training area, while Bubblina was sitting against a wall, struggling furiously against her bonds and gag. The Japanese racer watched as Kung Lao swung his hat downward, using it to slice Reptile completely in half. Sakura just scoffed, unimpressed as the victim's halves fell to the floor, their organs spilling out. "Hmph, I've done worse." She said to herself, before turning to check on her captive.
Bubblina had been trying to get out of the ropes that were holding her the entire trip here. She looked back at her wrist bonds and tried giving them a tug, hoping to pull her wrist apart. Unfortunately, the pink racer found them very secure. Bubblina tried the same with the ropes binding her ankles, but to not avail. "MMMPH MMMMMMPH!" She tried calling for help once more, wanting her screams to pierce the gag around her mouth.
Sakura watched this, becoming amused by Bubblina's struggling. It was more entertaining to watch her helpless captive try to pointlessly fight back than watching two men do things she could practically do in her sleep. "Why do you even bother? No one is coming for you; not yet anyway." The mercenary said as she walked over and knelt down in front of Bubblina, who had stopped trying to escape and started shaking in fear as Sakura came closer and closer to her. She tried her best to squirm away from the evil child before her, but couldn't get very far.
"Besides, this gives me the little bit of one on one time that I didn't get with you earlier." Sakura continued on, speaking in that calming tone Bubblina could not get over. She then picked up a dismembered hand that had been close by and tossed it into the acidic liquid that surrounded the strip of land they were on. Bubblina watched as the acid quickly ate away at the fleshy remains, turning the liquid around it red from the blood that seeped out. After the hand started to sink, the pink avatar's eyes grew wider, realizing that's what would happen to her if Barry and Jerry didn't find them soon.
Sakura continued to enjoy the show as Bubblina tried ever harder to escape her possible death. "Awww, are you scared of the acid? It will surely eat through your body in seconds." She said, not bothering to spare her the graphic details of what would happen to her. "Imagine, you'll be lowered in on one of those meat hooks that are hanging around here. First your toes enter, then your torso, then your upper body, and finally, your head. You'll be under a sea of constant pain. I don't believe you can hold your breath because of the burning feeling, so you'll just be eaten away inside and out."
Sakura slowly reached her hand out to touch Bubblina's face. The bubblegum sibling froze completely in fear and let out a small whimper, fearing what she would do next. Sakura used her thumb to gently stroke the cheek of the helpless, and still fear stricken, Bubblina. "You know, you look kind of cute when you're gagged and tied up." She commented, brushing some of the blonde hair that had gotten in her face aside. "Without that mouth of yours running, I can see your beautiful blue eyes, widened with fright. Fright caused of me." Sakura cooed eerily as Bubblina continued to shake and squirm a little.
"Mmmmph mph mmmmph." Bubblina mumbled behind her cloth, eyes still wide as Sakura continued to stroke her face.
"What's that? I don't speak gagged." Sakura said, gently lifting her chin so their gaze met. "Let me help you with that. It will be the last chance you might get to speak." She told Bubblina as her hand reached for the gag and gently pulled it off, letting it slide down to her chin.
Then, completely out of nowhere, Bubblina quickly spat in Sakura face, causing her to recoil in shock and wipe the spit off of her. The now free to speak racer used this chance to call for help. "SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEE!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping someone would hear her.
When Sakura had recovered, she had a look of anger on her face from the trick her hostage had pulled. She decided to reward Bubblina with a hard backhanded smack across the face. Bubblina grunted as the hand hit her hard and knocked her on her side. "Now that was rude! After I was so nice to remove your gag for you." Sakura growled at Bubblina. She grabbed her by her collar and yanked her back up in her original spot, forcing her against the wall. "But at least it will get your boys more angry when they see that little, baby Bubbles has been abused."
Bubblina now had a large red hand mark where Sakura had assaulted her cheek. "L-Look, if I'm about to die, can I at least ask you something?" She stammered out, worried about how Sakura might react.
She just stared at Bubblina for a brief moment before answering her question. "Perhaps." Sakura simply told her prisoner.
"Why do you do stuff like this? Hurting innocent people? I just don't see why." Bubblina asked, hanging her head. She knew she was probably wasting her breath by asking that question, but if she truly was about to die, then she just wanted to see if she could get an answer.
Sakura paused for a moment. "The reason I have might actually surprise you, Gumdrop. I do it to get back at all of those who bullied me." She told Bubblina as she got up and started to pace back and forth.
The young sibling looked up in shock. She would have never thought that in a million years, someone as stoic and cold as Sakura would be a victim of bullying. "You see, when I first discovered my desire to fight, I was teased by my fellow racers because I wasn't very good at it. I was mocked by those who thought I was pathetic; I felt worthless. That is, until I met him. Slade "Deathstroke" Wilson. I met him at Tappers after the arcade closed. Even a hardened super soldier like him will open up to an adorable little rusher like me. He taught me how to fight, strategize, and use my skills to get back at those who wronged me. He showed me that the world will always be filled with people who will look down on you and hate you."
Bubblina just sat there after hearing Sakura's life story, thinking about the things that were said. "Hmmm, always filled with people who will hate you…" She quietly murmured to herself. She didn't notice the little mercenary grow an evil smirk of victory. Secretly, her goal was to get inside Bubblina's head, and she may have just accomplished that.
"Did you ever have anyone in your life who bullied you?" Sakura asked her, already knowing the answer.
The gumdrop girl just shrugged her shoulders slightly. "More like five people, but you wouldn't be interested." Bubblina didn't think that this psychopath would be interested in hearing about her backstory.
"You may as well tell me. It may be the last chance you'll ever get to do it." Sakura said to Bubblina, stopping her pacing to listen. "Your brother and boyfriend must really think you're pathetic if they're taking this long to get here. So why don't you go ahead and tell your little tale." She smirked at the still tied up Bubblina. Sakura could see that her plan was working.
"If you say so." Bubblina shrugged and began to tell Sakura about her checkered past. "I was bullied by a group of five kids because of my Insomnia. When they had first found out, I was called names like freak or zombie, given black eyes, bloody noses, you name it. I've been to the hospital more times than I'd like to admit. Barry tried to fight them off, but they just never got the message. Eventually I got to the point where I started cutting myself. I guess I really am pathetic." Bubblina sighed sadly as she finished the story. After thinking about it, Bubblina didn't blame Sakura for saying that earlier.
Sakura could see that her mission had been fully accomplished. "Well, don't we have low self-esteem." She smirked, walking up to Bubblina. "I'll tell you what. Since you admit how worthless you are, how about I give you the sweet release of death?" Sakura offered Bubblina, picking her up. It's not like she had a choice in her position. "I was going to re-gag you, but I want the last thing those boys to hear is your screams of dying agony." Sakura began to get Bubblina into position.
Bubblina just nodded without really caring. She really did think that she was worthless. It's true that there would always be people in the world who would bully her for who she was. Maybe letting Sakura do this was the right thing for everyone.
Sakura untied her wrist and rebound them with a coil of steel chains above her head. Bubblina didn't bother fighting back because she knew she would stand no chance against the chibi killer. Her chain was then connected to a meat hook that was close by. Sakura then went over to the control panel and moved the hanging racer over the pit of acid. "Any last words, Gumdrop?" Sakura asked her, ready to drop her in.
"Yeah, let my sister go now!"
Both of them turned to see Barry and Jerry standing at the entrance of the Dead Pool, anger plastered on their faces. Sakura smirked at their rage while Bubblina looked up, still not really caring what happened to her. "Don't bother guys." She simply said down to them.
"But Bubbles, that's fudging acid, and you're outside your game!" Jerry yelled up in shock, not believing what she had just said.
Barry was in total surprise too. He had never seen his sister act this way before. Sakura must have affected her somehow. He quickly spawned both of his escrima sticks and readied for a fight. "What have you been doing to her?!" Barry growled at Sakura with rage.
"It's not what I'm doing…it's what I've done. I got inside her head and showed her there was no point to it all." Sakura explained as she walked away from the controls.
Bubblina saw that her brother didn't believe Sakura, so she decided to make it easier on him and save both of the boys the trouble. "She's right, Barry. Bullies, Insomnia, the fact that I'm such a weakling. What's the point? Sakura won." Bubblina moped, lowering her head, hoping her brother would understand the pointlessness of the situation.
The mercenary drew both of her metal fans, knowing both of Bubblina's so called saviors wanted her dead. "Well well well, it appears the game is over before it has even begun." She smiled, opening both fans at the same time.
Barry stood there, seething in pure rage at the fact that Sakura had corrupted Bubblina. Jerry wasn't doing too much better, as he broke his bow in two to use as a pair of blades. "I'm not playing games, Sakura." He growled as he stuck both of her sticks together to form a staff.
All three of them stood off, knowing a fight was about to ensue.